Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to techniques, systems, and devices for stabilizing a catheter or catheter extension set or other medical article on a patient.
Description of the Related Art
Medical patients are often in need of repetitious administering of fluids or medications, or repetitious draining of fluids. It is very common in the medical industry to utilize medical tubing to provide various liquids or solutions to a patient. For example, medical tubing such as a catheter is often used to introduce fluids and medications directly into the patient or to withdraw fluids from the patient. In many cases, the catheter remains in place for many days. In some instances, a catheter may be attached to a patient for an even lengthier period of time, and may require minimal movement for proper functioning.
It is often advantageous to restrict the movement of the catheter. A moving catheter may cause discomfort to the patient, restrict the administering of fluids or medications or the draining of fluids, cause infection, or become dislodged from the patient unintentionally. In order to keep the catheter or other medical tubing properly positioned for the duration of treatment, the catheter or medical tubing can be stabilized on the patient in a variety of ways. Most commonly, the medical provider may attempt to restrict movement of the catheter by securing the distal end of the catheter, or a portion of a medical device connected to the catheter such as a connector fitting, to the patient using tape. Medical providers commonly place long pieces of tape across the distal end of the catheter, often in a crisscross pattern, to secure the catheter distal end to the patient. This securement is intended to inhibit disconnection between the catheter and the patient or between the catheter and another medical article, such as a drainage tube, as well as to prevent the catheter from catching on other objects, such as on a bed rail.
Stabilizing a catheter with tape upon the patient, however, has certain drawbacks. For example, taped connections often collect contaminants and dirt. This potentially can lead to infection of the patient, particularly at an insertion site where the catheter is inserted into the patient. Taped stabilization typically leaves the insertion site exposed to these contaminants and dirt and other foreign objects that may be harmful to the patient and/or compromise the stabilization of the catheter. Gathering or collecting of contaminants by the tape may exacerbate any problems at the insertion site. Normal protocol therefore requires periodic tape changes in order to inhibit germ growth. Such periodic changes, however, often disrupt any attempts or mechanisms used to shield or protect the insertion site, and may compel detrimental manipulation of the areas around the insertion site.